All for a Bloody Thesis
by Hatteress
Summary: On a historical excursion from her wizarding university, Ginny Weasley is thrown into the lap of one Captain Jack Sparrow...my my, what's a scandalous pirate captain to do? Harry Potter x PoTC. Ginny/Jack. Pre Dead Mans Chest
1. Impending Separation

_DISCLAIMER: In my tiny little mind, there is a tiny little part that believes that a tiny little section of the Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean realms are mine. Then I take my medication and reality returns._

* * *

The pile of books slammed down with bang enough to wake the dead. Ginny sighed, not even sparing a glance up at the cause of the libraries disturbance.

"Hello Draco, had a good morning?"

She heard the telltale scoff as one Draco Malfoy threw himself in an undignified heap on the bench across from her. It sometimes startled her the way the boy once famous for having a stick made of solid gold up his arse could appear so uncouth. She knew that, had the boy's father still been alive, Draco would have never gotten away with such undisciplined behavior. Indeed he wouldn't have gotten away with a lot of things - being the close personal friend of the youngest Weasley for instance.

Ginny looked up at her newly-arrived companion and couldn't help a small smirk at the look of utter childish sulk on his face.

"That bloody Mudblood professor is a menace!"

Ginny rolled her eyes at the insult. Draco Malfoy's use of vocabulary had changed little in the three years since his graduation from Hogwarts. Quite the antithesis to the rest of him. His platinum blonde hair once slicked to perfection was now usually left to fall in his eyes and make a general annoyance of itself. His eyes, while still the same silver, had less of a granite feel to them. His fashion sense, to his mother's everlasting shame and Ginny's never-ending amusement, had undergone dramatic alterations. Draco Malfoy had become addicted to the comfort to be found in Muggle clothes. The twenty year old now sprawled across from her was dressed in a faded pair of black jeans and a t-shirt that proclaimed his unique love for people:

F**k off, I have enough friends

Ginny read the inscription for the hundredth time since the boy had spotted it in a muggle store not two months ago and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she worried for her friend. Dropping her book closed with a finger shoved between the pages she turned her attention to the sulky boy across from her.

"What did she do now?"

Ordinarily Ginny would have simply kept reading as she enquired, knowing well the pattern of Draco's rants and the length he could sometimes stretch them to, but this was a special occasion. This would be the last rant she would have the chance to listen to for a good while. Draco seemed to realize the same thing as he looked down at her postponed reading material and then up to her face. He sighed.

"What am I gonna do for complaining when you're gone Car?"

Ginny smiled. Car…short for Carrot. Only Draco Malfoy could get away with nicknaming her Carrot and live to see his twenty- first birthday.

"Well I suppose you could chat with all those professors you seem to hold in such high esteem - I'm sure they'd be ecstatic to hear of what you think of their teaching methods."

She smirked as she said it, nonchalantly rearranging the papers spread across the desk. His answer was straight out of the Draco Malfoy Handbook.

"What teaching practices? Teaching practices would indicate they actually had a clue swimming around their pea brains concerning the subject," he griped.

Ginny couldn't help the snort that escaped her lips and she watched as Draco caught her expression and grinned a bit himself. That was another difference in Draco Malfoy since his graduation; he smiled a whole lot more - genuinely, and not just maliciously. Ginny wasn't the only one who had noticed how handsome he became when he did so either. She was quite proud that her best friend had an entire wall dedicated to his good attributes in the university female toilets and quite a female following in the gossip mills. Not that it really did them any good. Ginny still snickered inwardly whenever she was approached by a girl asking after Draco's relationship status. The poor things didn't know what they were asking, or that the boy they were asking about would never in a million years look at them twice.

Ginny grinned as Draco kicked her playfully under the table and the two started a furious, though silent, war of the feet. She really didn't understand how no one figured it out - the way they acted, the way they gossiped. She watched as Draco froze and his gaze ticked over her shoulder before a smirk alit his face.

"Well…be still my loins."

Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes. She didn't even need to turn around to know what had caught the ex-slytherin's gaze. If he followed his usual pattern it was something tall dark and dripping in boyish good looks. Ginny had long ago given up pointing out that Draco's taste always seemed to steer him towards the same sort of boy.

"So does this one have glasses?" she asked innocently.

She watched amusedly as Draco frowned at the figure over her shoulder a moment.

"No," he said almost sulkily. "He's got the eyes for it though."

Ginny rolled her eyes. How anyone could be so insanely in denial she didn't know. She was halfway tempted to ask if the boy behind her would look good with a lightning scar as well.

"You are such a fag," she said exasperatedly – her teasing evident.

Draco's grin could have lit a brothel.

"Damn straight."

Ginny laughed loudly and started another round under the table. Yes, Draco Malfoy, her best friend, was entirely and unequivocally homosexual. Apart from the few boyfriends he had encountered since the discovery, Ginny knew she was the only one who knew of his sexual preferences and even that was a bit of a fluke. In fact, she was probably the first one who knew, including Draco himself. What could she say, when your boyfriend started making eyes at Gryffindor seekers, you had to get a little suspicious.

She sent a particularly hard kick at his foot under the table and missed, hitting the leg of the table instead and sending the entire fixture shuddering. She froze just as Draco did and, as one, they spared a guilty look up at the librarian, a stern lady by the name of Madam Hardcox who made Madam Pince look like a teddy bear. Their gaze was met with one of certain hostility and Ginny and Draco exchanged a look before scooping up their combined papers and books and bolting for the door.

They had barely stumbled around the corner from the library before they both cracked up laughing.

"One of these days, she's not gonna let us back in there," Ginny said as the two started the long walk to the dorm rooms. Draco shifted the books in his arms and slung his now free one around her shoulders.

"And that will be a day of celebration!"

Ginny scoffed through her grin as she looked up at him.

"Speak for yourself, I still have a thesis to complete you know."

They turned a corner into a wide courtyard, not unlike the one at Hogwarts.

"Ah yes, and how is that coming my lady?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at Draco's fake aristocratic tone but ignored it for the most part, simply answering his question.

"Fairly well - some of these bloody concealment spells though..." She threw her hands up in exasperation...or would have, had they been free - as is was, all she really succeeded in doing was flapping her elbows weakly. She sighed. "I really don't see what was so wrong with lemon juice - hold it near the fire and presto!"

Draco snickered.

"Ah, but that would take all the fun out of trying to pronounce the Latin."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I have an outline but I can't start writing until..." She trailed off, thinking of their impending separation. Draco sighed, catching the mood.

"Until you take your little trip through time," he finished for her and Ginny nodded, halting at the courts edge and dropping down onto a stone bench. Draco dropped down beside her with a sigh.

"You know, I'm going to miss you terribly - who else will I get to put up with me?"

Ginny laughed and elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

"Well, if you had taken History like I suggested you'd be coming with me," she prodded and Draco scoffed.

"Not bloody likely, I get quite enough sleep in my own courses."

Ginny rolled her eyes. Binns really had poisoned the minds of the students at Hogwarts against history. Not one of her classmates now were from her old school and she rather missed having like minds to compare things with. But then, even when she did encounter other former Hogwarts students they rarely spoke. Come to think of it, the only real friends close to her own age she really had any contact with were Draco and her brother's friends and the latter only occasionally. Harry and Hermione were often hanging around the Burrow during the holidays - Hermione because Ron wanted her used to his family in preparation for her joining them (the two had been engaged for two years now) and Harry because he had no where else to go. The fantastic three were currently schooling it up at the Aurora Academy in London while she and Draco had opted for the smaller University of Quickspire in Prague. All in all, school was Ginny's life which was probably why it wasn't such a big deal for her to participate in the excursion set down by her course-handlers just last month.

Three months in another time.

* * *

Ginny dumped the papers and texts in her arms onto her small, unmade bed with a grunt. Draco had always said if nothing else, she was thorough in her research. No one could say she didn't know her history...she had the bloody humpback to prove it. With a groan, she threw herself down on the bed beside her papers...or tried to. The sound of crumpling paper signaled a slight miscalculation in her landing and Ginny swore lightly as she pulled a map out from under her elbow. One look at the paper had a sharp stab of excitement take up residence in the pit of her stomach.

Cuba, Port Rico, Santo Domingo, the Windward and Leeward Islands...all were permanent fixations in her mind and she had done her fair share of research on all. But they weren't the names causing her happy stabbings. That blame lay with the two settlements on either side of Hispaniola. Tortuga and Port Royal. The names were no strangers in the Muggle world and practically famous in the Wizarding. In the seventeenth century when Witchcraft had been as taboo as privateering, the two most infamous settlements were not only havens to the thieves of the ocean.

Ginny frowned slightly. Pirates. She had done her fair share of research on them as well, most of it by accident. It seemed whenever you asked questions about the Caribbean, pirates came with the packaged deal. Villainous scoundrels who decided when and where the law suited them, the Pirates of the Caribbean were infamous for their ferocity and their cunning.

Ginny traced her fingertips through the Windward pass, barely swallowing a squeal of excitement. Despite her apprehensions about pirates she knew it was the chance of a lifetime. This was her chance to essentially make her mark on history...and have it make its mark on her.


	2. Uric the Oddball

She was going to utterly MURDER the inventor of corsets! Bring them to their pitiful knees with the Criticus curse before cutting their internal organs out with a spoon; all in revenge for the fact that hers were now, thanks to said invention, struggling with oxygen deprivation.

"I'm...I'm gonna die in this thing!" she protested weakly as the last of the lases were pulled taut with the binding charm. Draco's scoff could not be mistaken from across the room.

"Don't be so melodramatic...and come out so I can see you."

It was only with a steadying hand on the back of a chair that Ginny managed to manoeuvre herself out from behind the screen and into Draco's view. His reaction once accomplished was entirely worth the struggle it took to stay upright. Ginny watched as her best friend's eyes opened to the circumference of a small dinner plate and his gaze swept rakingly over her.

"Bloody hell Car; if I weren't such a raging poof..."

Ginny rolled her eyes as she beckoned him forward.

"Stop being an idiot and come help me to the mirror, I think this thing has cut off the circulation to my legs."

For once, Draco Malfoy actually did what he was told, moving to her side and taking her hand as she attempted to walk on legs that were becoming increasingly harder to feel. She was fairly sure that wasn't a good thing; legs were traditionally supposed to have feeling as far as she knew; it prevented them from dropping off. Maybe if they started going blue...

All thoughts of the welfare of her limbs flew from Ginny's mind as soon as she stepped in front of the mirror. The dress had looked fairly simple on the hanger, but on her...

The fabric fell about her as a finely spun cotton overlay on an emerald green silk backing. Ginny had scrunched her nose at the colour at first, sure that with her red hair she was going to look like one of Santa's elves, but now that it was on...words were failing her...though that may have just been the lack of available breathing room. The dress hugged her upper body with the vehemence of an infatuated lover, displaying her chest in a way that made her want to cringe, hide and strut down the street at the same time. The skirt was long and flared, as was the fashion in the time she was to be attending, accentuating her curves and seeming to harmonise the usually unruly kinks in her hair. Ginny couldn't help but gasp...though again, that may have been the corset.

Standing before her was a veritable princess; decked out in the tradition of glamour and coifed to her very last coif. She looked, to put it mildly, utterly amazing.

"...Wow..."

It was the only thing she managed to utter before she dropped to the floor in a dead feint.

Yep, definitely needed loosening.

* * *

Draco was having a bit of a hard time keeping up; which, upon contemplation, was rather embarrassing considering his companion was wearing her own weight again in fabric.

"Gin...could you slow down a bit for Merlin's sake...it's not like the seventeenth century's going anywhere..."

Ginny, ahead, didn't even glance back as she answered.

"We had to be there by eight Draco! EIGHT!"

Draco almost cringed at the volume with which her hysteria was conveyed. Well as least they could be sure she had fully recovered her lung capacity. It had taken a whole half an hour to wake the little weasel after she'd decided to take a badly-timed nap sprawled across his apartment floor; he was still sporting the black eye from trying to slap her awake. And so, they were late. Only ten minutes, granted, but it seemed enough to send his best friend into hernia-land for the mentally-insane.

Draco grunted as he ducked his head and stepped up his run...only to collide solidly with a great mound of expensive silk. Ginny's dress absorbed most of the impact for her so she simply swayed a little while Draco suddenly sound himself sitting on the polished museum floor, his butt aching to high heaven.

"Bloody hell Weasley!"

He only ever used her last name when he was really irritated with her but for then the girl didn't seem to notice as she gazed down at a well-known display case in front of her in rapture. Draco groaned upon spotting it as he climbed to his feet.

"Come on Car, we don't have time for this."

Ginny didn't take her gaze from the case.

"I just wanna see it once more, that's all...just once."

Draco sighed as he approached and stood as close as he could with the poufy dress in his bloody way to his friend's side. The display case was relatively ordinary, a simple sheet of glass covering the coveted object inside, the flames from the nearby torches casting a flickering light over its polished exterior. There were no charms on the case, no magical forms of protection at all; the curators obviously sure in the objects security - Draco couldn't help but agree. Who would ever want to steal a crusty scrap of paper leading to a long since discovered treasure? One look at Ginny's shining face had him thinking that maybe he should warn the security to keep an eye on her. It was no secret Ginny was utterly obsessed with the ancient record; so much so, she was basing her entire thesis on it. Unheeded, his eyes travelled up to the faded plaque proclaiming the cases contents.

"Mappe to the moste secret and coveted treasure of Uric the Oddball"

Uric the Oddball - often said to be the weirdest wizard of the age, renowned for wearing a jellyfish as a hat. See, he'd payed attention in History...mostly. What he certainly hadn't learned about the Mad-hatter of the Fourteenth century at Hogwarts however was that, apart from being exceedingly bizarre, Uric the Oddball was in fact, the greatest thief of his age.

Draco had sat through many an intellectual ranting by Ginny on the subject of the wizard's exploits. Apparently the old coot had been a bloody genius or some such rubbish; hiding his methods and takings so damn well, his nature for taking what wasn't rightfully his hadn't been picked up until his map had been discovered around about six-hundred years after his death. But then that's where things got really strange. Draco could still remember Ginny's eyes lighting up as she told him the tale of Uric's stash and the secret to him not being caught once in all those long years with an object on his person that was not his own. It seemed, according to the map at least, that Uric was a bit of a hoarder - rather than spending his stolen goods, he hid them using a mix of Wizarding shielding spells and good old muggle-pirate booby traps. No one and nothing could ever get to that treasure without a map; either the one now sitting crustily in the Prague Wizarding Museum or the one, no doubt, that was once imprinted upon the memory of Uric the Oddball himself.

When the map had surfaced, a great wave of excitement had gone through the wizarding world as it spoke of some of the most valuable, though thought lost, artefacts of the age, including but not limited to, the legitimately made FIRST Philosopher's stone, a prototype made by Nicolas Flamel sometime in the fourteenth century. There had been a great clamour to get to the Caribbean that year - the alleged hiding place of the Uric treasure. Ministries were up in arms and diplomacy had been stretched to breaking point, but finally the cavern had been opened and the discovery been made: A note, short and handwritten in long since dry ink:

Better Luck Next Time Mates.

A timing charm had revealed the note to be a little over 300 years old, disproving the suggestion that someone else had got a hold of the maps co- ordinates and raced them there. It was evident that whoever stole the treasure, had done so a long time ago...and without a map because, as Ginny had conveyed to him, practically stuttering in excitement, the only existing map of the time; the one that now lived in this very museum, was only written after the treasure had been stolen, around the same time as the note found in the cavern in fact.

Some had argued that it had been Uric himself who claimed his bounty, perhaps using the Philosopher's stone but most would admit; the mystery of the missing Uric treasure was still unsolved.

Draco had to admit a slight fascination with the treasure of Uric the Oddball though he knew his little inkling of curiosity was nothing compared to Ginny's all out obsession. A quick glance over to her face saw the same infatuation he knew she'd been displaying the day two years ago when she'd fist clapped eyes on the mouldy old bit of paper. Draco rolled his eyes; sometimes he worried for his friend.

"Gin?"

She seemed to shake out of a trance as she looked up at him and her eyes widened.

"Damn!"

And the chase was on again. Draco sighed; now this he wasn't going to miss with her galabanding around the time space continuum - let someone else chase after her skinny butt for a while.


	3. Tuna Whip

Nausea they said; headaches and muscle discomfort they said. Travelers may suffer from severe vertigo and feinting spells. Ginny rather thought the Time-attendant had over embellished just a little. It had been a wild ride for sure; a lot of technicolour and a good dollop of swirling but Ginny had a feeling that most of that was for show anyway. It had all ended in a virtually smooth fashion, contrary to the horrors the wizards with plastic smiles, pressed-to-perfection uniforms and shiny name tags had told them.

She'd swirled, she'd squeaked a little, then it had all just stopped. Just like that. And she found herself leaning against a perfectly solid and all together not moving wall. It was pretty cool really.

"Miss Weasley?"

A face almost as shiny as it's Time-attendant name badge appeared in front of her at a most peculiar angle, almost as if it were…..

"Miss Weasley, can you stand?"

That was, of course, when she realised the wall she was leaning against was actually a very sturdy and unmoving floor. She groaned and rolled over as hands descended on her and helped her into a more vertical position. She only knew it because now she wasn't talking to the shiny face sideways.

"W-what happened?"

Shiny face was displaying a smile to match his complexion as he held her steady against the onslaught of gravity.

"You feinted miss- not to worry, a common occurrence after a jump."

She feinted? Feinted? Oh thank Merlin Draco hadn't seen that, she would never have heard the end of it. They had parted terms swiftly and yet sincerely back at the museum. A quick hug and a quip before she had, obviously literally, fallen into the seventeenth century. Speaking of…

As she concentrated on standing without incessantly wobbling, she took the time to glance around at her surroundings. Her class had been informed before the jump that they were to be arriving in the workplace of an undercover contact of the Ministry of Magic. A tradesman it was said, and a respectable man. Well tradesman was a given she was coming to realise as she took in the room she now found herself standing in the middle of.

All the shutters were closed and the air was stifling hot, the only light coming from a forge in the corner of the room. That in itself gave away the contact's occupation even without the presence of twisted bits of metal and neatly stacked swords and other metallic instruments littering the shop.

Her heart gave a little thump of excitement.

She was in a smithy – an honest to Merlin, seventeenth century smithy! She suddenly had the urge to touch everything. The swords, the horseshoes…even pet the confused looking donkey peeking out at her from the corner because it was all so…authentic.

"Ah, Mr. Brown…"

"So I see the young miss has regained 'er wits."

Ginny turned to the new voice to find herself faced with a decidedly short and grubby man dressed in a smithy's apron and smudged with enough dirt to make her wonder if that's where he got his name from. Despite appearances, the man's eyes seemed to possess a kindly light and his smile was genuine as he handed her a cup of what turned out to be water. Ginny had to struggle not to wrinkle her nose at the sight of the grubby hand passing her the container, not wanting to offend the new arrival. The attendant however didn't seem to have any such qualms.

"Brown, for Merlin's sake man, you live in the seventeenth century, not the stone ages, have a bath once in a while 'ey?"

At first Ginny was a bit shocked at the attendant's forthrightness – he had certainly been nothing but professional with herself and the class, but then Mr. Brown laughed and it became apparent that the two men knew each other quite well enough to poke fun. Mr. Brown scratched at his beard and cheek, leaving another streak of dirt from his grimy hands.

"Need to keep up pretenses Jose my boy, can't have people thinkin' I'm of any use."

At this he winked at Ginny and she couldn't help a small smile in return. She remembered well the readings her class had been given concerning the ministry's official's part in the time travel process. Agents were placed at strategic points in time and given leave to set up a living, but they weren't allowed to affect anything of that time to any great extent. Many of the pasts greatest no-hopers were ministry officials undercover. Mr. Brown rocked back on his heels, a look of pride sparking in his eyes.

"At any rate, my boy keeps things goin' about here with no troubles these days."

The attendant, Jose, nodded.

"Ah yes, how is young Will?"

"Not so young no more that's fer sure, comin' up to twenty-one this year."

The attendant whistled and again Ginny was reminded that time tended to be distorted for officials in the business. What might well have been a few years by Mr. Brown's reckoning could have only been a couple of months in Jose's time Come to think of it – Ginny looked once more between the chatting men – the two of them could quite possibly have been the same age at some point, even though Mr. Brown now looked much older than Jose.

"Yep…" Mr. Brown was continuing. "'e's runnin' this place quite nicely by 'imself nowadays, and 'e's got 'imself a right lady…"

"A lady you say? Who?"

Mr. Brown's eyes looked to be downright swimming in his pride as he puffed himself up for his next statement.

"Miss. Elizabeth Swann."

The attendant looked shocked.

"The governor's daughter?"

Mr. Brown nodded and the attendant whistled again.

"How did he manage that one?"

Mr. Brown waved his hand about as if to brush the unimportant detail away.

"Oh, some business with 'er gettin' kidnapped by cursed Pirates and the such – nothin' that 'asn't been done before."

The attendant nodded before turning back and fixing his attention on Ginny once more.

"Well Miss. Weasley, are you feeling up to catching up to your classmates?"

Ginny nodded, not about to disclose that she had been feeling quite fit for a while now but hadn't been wanting to stop listening in on their conversation. She smiled as she handed the empty cup back to Mr. Brown.

"Thank you very much Mr. Brown, for everything…"

The smithy waved her words away as he took the cup from her.

"Just doin' my civic duty young miss."

And with that she was lead out of the shop and into the world she had been dreaming about for the better part of two years.

It took them almost an hour to catch up to the class in what should have only been a ten minute walk – but Ginny just couldn't seem to help herself. They were on foot, weaving their way through the bustling township and she just couldn't seem to help pausing every couple of steps to take in another new sight. Jose, however, was more understanding than she would bet most others would have been and let her take her time on the trek, his eyes smiling indulgently at every little sound of excitement she made.

"I don't find many who are genuinely excited in different times," he explained to her as they started on the last hill before their destination. It was only as they crested said hill and their aim came into view that Ginny stopped short.

"Isn't that…"

Jose didn't pause.

"The Governor's house, yes. As far as the township is concerned you and your classmates are on a school excursion from one of the more prominent private schools in England and as such, deserve only the finest housing. The governor has kindly offered to put you all up under his own roof and there will be a celebration tonight to welcome you all."

Ginny's mouth hung open a little. A celebration? She was going to have to mingle…with people? Had no one explained to them that she got on far better with reading material and notebooks?

Jose led the way up to the Governor's household.

Obviously not.

From the moment she stepped in the heavily gabled and thoroughly expensive looking double doors Ginny had felt like a bug on a wildly out of control carousel – both small and about to throw up. She had stared about the chaos of the governor's household like a muggle caught in the headlights of the Knight bus until Jose had grabbed her hand and yanked her into the melee.

"No! That table against the far wall…"

"For goodness sake, the napkins go under…"

"White Mary! Miss Swann specifically said white…"

Merlin, this was worse even than the Weasley family get-togethers…and that was saying about three and a half somethings. People stalked, jogged or full-on bolted around the house, flying down stairs and shouting orders across wide gaps of swirling organising. Plates crashed, maids cried, there was even a cat yowling plaintively as one of the serving girls attempted to dislodge it from the curtain rod. Looking around with wide eyes Ginny couldn't help being reminded of the Gryffindor common room after a win on the Quidditch pitch.

She cringed as a loud crash followed by a shriek resounded from the next room.

She turned, looking in askance up at Jose at her side. For his part the obscenely calm prat just grinned.

"Welcome to the Governor's household Miss. Weasley."

Ginny felt the childish urge to poke her tongue out at him but refrained as a loud yell sounded from the direction of the curtains. The serving girl had obviously come in range of the cats claws.

"You right bloody mongrel of matted fur!"

Several maids gasped, hands flying to all manner of throats.

"Miss Swann!" Someone said in a scandalised tone that made Ginny want to roll her eyes. Merlin forbid anyone meet Draco and his own talent for discovering new combinations of swears; the poor ducks would likely keel right over in shock. Though, from the look the girl at the curtains turned on her fellow maids, Ginny had a feeling this particular individual would have no problems staying upright.

"Oh please, I'm sure you've all heard far worse just walking through the markets of a morning."

Yep, this one was definitely of the non-keeling-over variety.

The maids all seemed at a loss at the come back and the girl took the opportunity to turn back to her task. Her very evilly glaring task. It took only a glance at the glint in the feline's eye to know that it was far from giving up its perch on the window rod and Ginny couldn't help feeling rather sorry for anyone who thought they could change its mind prematurely - like the serving girl with the colourful vocabulary reaching for it just then. Not giving the action thought she stepped forward, brushing Jose's hand off her arm as she reached out and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, stilling her movement towards the vindictive ball of fur.

"Ah, could I give it a go?"

The girl turned to her in something akin to surprise. It was obvious she hadn't noticed Ginny in the room before, but then Ginny found a lot of people didn't notice her – despite the red hair. One look at this girl's face however said that she was far from suffering the same fate. Ginny had never really met anyone she could honestly call 'beautiful' before. Pretty yes, striking sure, but never really beautiful. This girl was beautiful. She had it all, the gold tint to her skin, wide chocolate eyes framed by just enough lashes, perfectly arched eyebrows, full…and yes, even pouty lips…

Merlin if the girl wasn't a classic. Ginny smiled lightly at her, rather thankful that she didn't fancy girls because with her track-record of tongue twisting around her crushes she would surely be lost in this particular situation. The girl…a woman really now that Ginny was close enough to notice, smiled back at her and nodded gesturing up to the wayward feline.

"With my sympathies."

Ginny chuckled lightly and turned to the table just having been set up against the far wall. What she really needed was…

"Ah…perfect. Excuse me."

The severe looking maid by the table looked about to protest as Ginny swooped a small dish of tuna-whip from the spread but hesitated at a look from the serving girl. Ginny didn't notice, already on her way back to the curtain rod, scooping a dollop of tuna out and onto her fingers as she went. With a hesitant smile to the serving girl as she passed Ginny turned her attentions to the cat. It turned its attentions right back, weariness in its black eyes.

"Here'ya…"

The cat sniffed the air once, twice…

The next thing anyone knew Ginny was sporting a brand new fur scarf. The serving girl laughed and clapped lightly as she approached.

"Brilliant!"

Ginny grinned as her scarf licked her fingers clean.

"A friend of mine has a cat that likes hard to reach places as well," she supplied as the cat sprang lightly from her shoulders and headed for the remainder of the tuna-whip. The serving girl appeared not to notice as her eyes twinkled with delight.

"Well I thank you. I have no doubt that you just now saved me a hand – it seems now fitting that I extend it in greeting," she grinned, wiping her hands hastily on her apron before holding one out. "Elizabeth Swann."

Ginny didn't register the name until she had taken the extended appendage. She froze.

"Elizabeth Swann? As in…"

The serving girl, not so much a serving girl anymore rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"As in the governor's daughter, yes, that would be me. And I would be right in assuming you one of the Charden's Colledge students?"

It took Ginny a moment of confusion and a glance at Jose's hastily nodding head beyond Elizabeth before she stumbled over an affirmation.

"Ah, yes yes – Ginny Weasley, that would be me…"

Ginny couldn't help but blush at her fumbling tongue. Great Merlin, perhaps she did have a crush on the girl after all. Elizabeth however didn't seem phased as she stepped forward and linked Ginny's arm with her own.

"Well Miss Weasley-"

"Just Ginny, please."

"Ginny. Unless you haven't heard we're throwing a small welcome dinner tonight in your schools honour."

Ginny sank a little lower as Elizabeth led her to the stairs.

"Yes I had heard."

She tried not to sound dejected, she really did. Elisabeth seemed not to notice.

"Do you have something to wear?"

Ginny looked down at the array of poofs and frills already adorning her too-curvy body. The strangest look came into Elisabeth's eye when she looked up and shrugged. Sort of predatory – the kind of look every tomboy dreads seeing in a girly-friends eye. Very quickly Ginny found herself halfway up the stairs. Glancing back helplessly she just caught Jose's cheerful wave as Elisabeth's words rattled about her brain.

"Oh I have the perfect thing…."


	4. Parties

Will Turner was not one for parties. He knew it, the governor knew it…hell, even Jack Sparrow knew it. Parties and Will just didn't mix. No matter how hard one stirred the pot he always felt awkward, unwanted and, most of the time, managed to break something quite spectacularly by the end of the night. It was a running joke amongst the maids of the household that they would never be out of jobs just so long as Will Turner turned up to the Governor's little gatherings every once in a while.

Yet despite all this, here he was, amongst the crowd once more, subjected to the mindless chatter and inane giggling that was the elite of Port Royal, and why?

Will practically felt his muscles relax a bit as the reason he was putting up with all of this once more invaded his thoughts…as she was prone to doing most of the time.

Elizabeth Swann. His greatest annoyance and his greatest weakness - she had asked and he had come; it was as simple as that. And so now he stood, rooted to the corner next to some manner of potted tropical plant with determination enough to rival the Royal Navy that he would not move until either the world or the party ended.

He sighed and then stiffened when an answering huff sounded from the plant beside him. Somehow he didn't think it right that a plant be making such sounds, no matter how tropical it was. He looked down through the foliage suspiciously and caught sight of a delicately booted foot scuffing the floor on the opposite side of the pot.

"So what's your excuse?"

He jumped at the question, almost pitching face-first into the plant. Clearing his throat he attempted to muster the sort of pomp he'd always heard being paraded around at these parties. The fact that he seemed to be talking to a plant wasn't aiding him.

"My excuse?"

"For hiding."

The voice was female, he was able to garner that much. He didn't recognise it otherwise.

"I'm not hiding."

"Are too."

Will was taken aback with the forthrightness of it and found himself retorting without thinking.

"Am…not."

The voice laughed and Will felt his lips quirking despite himself. A hand suddenly poked out of the foliage at his side.

"I'm Ginny Weasley," said the voice. Will grinned a bit at the absurdity of it as he took the hand and shook it.

"Will Turner."

"Well Will Turner, I ask again, what's you're excuse?"

Will turned his attention back to the room teeming with chattering ladies and lords.

"I don't really like parties," he admitted.

The voice called Ginny hmphed.

"And you?" Will asked, aiming his question at the plant for lack of anything else to aim at. "What's your excuse?"

"The people."

Will frowned.

"The people?"

"Yes," said Ginny. "The parties I don't really mind myself…it's the people. Mostly the number of them and the fact I don't really know any of them."

"Ah right."

"What in gods name are you two doing?"

Will looked up from his conversation through the plant in surprise. Standing before him was Elizabeth, hands on hips and with a look on her face that suggested she'd just caught him…having a conversation through a plant. Will tried to smile a smile that would gain him back some dignity.

"We were just talking," Ginny said from the other side of the foliage. Elizabeth laughed in that way she had that set something dropping in his gut and pulled Will out from behind the plant where he finally got a look at his partner in conversation. She was pretty, a little bit short but with a most amazing head of vivid red hair. Unlike most of the ladies at the party she had left her hair down and mostly free with only two strands hooked up behind her head from each temple. The smile she flashed at him was shy but genuine as she nodded to him.

"Nice to see you Mister Turner."

Will laughed before he could stop himself and Elizabeth rolled her eyes beside him.

"Honestly, you two are as bad as each other hiding in the corners conversing through plants."

Will grinned and slid his hand about her waist briefly. It was nice being able to touch Elizabeth but he was still loath to push it in the governors own house.

"Ah, you're just narky you're too tall to hide behind the pot plants," Ginny said teasingly and Will was taken aback for a moment when Elizabeth laughed lightly…and genuinely – something unusual at her father's gatherings. In truth Will knew that Elizabeth hated the parties quite as much as he did. The only difference was, being the governor's daughter, she couldn't hide in corners as easily as he could.

Still smiling, Elizabeth turned to him.

"Ginny here, who I see you've already met, is one of the students from Charden's College come to stay with my father and I."

Will nodded his head as was polite. Ginny waved. Will almost laughed at the lack of decorum. He loved it. He could see why Elizabeth was so familiar with the girl now. Once you were liked by Elizabeth Swann formalities tended to take a flying leap and Ginny was certainly proving likable.

The introductions continued.

"Will here is my…close friend."

Will's cheer dropped a notch at the pause between words. He and Elizabeth were both frustrated with not being able to give their feelings for each other a recognised title. He did hope one day soon to be able to call her his Fiancé but he first had to afford a suitable ring not to mention tackle the task of asking her father's permission. That was going to be fun for all the family right there.

"Ah," Ginny nodded. "Gotcha. How long have you two been together?"

Will's mouth hung open. People didn't speak about him and Elizabeth. His standing obviously made it a talking point but people didn't really acknowledge it as courting. He honestly didn't know what they viewed it as…he couldn't really bring himself to care when he was with her. But here was Ginny Weasley standing before them and asking them how long they'd been seeing each other – like it was a normal state of affairs.

"A little over three months now," Elizabeth answered for them both, still smiling.

Ginny smiled. "Cool."

Perhaps the night was not a total waste after all.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Ginny watched Will and Elizabeth during dinner. It was Mr. Brown's Will, there was no doubting it. The blacksmith. He was a very pretty guy, even Ginny could see it. One of those pinnacles of hotness Draco was always going of about that would have him shaking his fists at the roof and screaming 'Why isn't he gay?'.

Combining Will's mouth-wateriness and Elizabeth's beauty they were certainly one gorgeous couple. It was a pity their union was so frowned upon in this time. Ginny had a feeling that they weren't going to let it get in their way though. Their love for each other could most likely be seen by a blind man - no way was a little bit of frowning going to keep them apart. Ginny liked it. It was nice to know that kind of love existed. Plus it was funny seeing some of the nobly people's faces screw up when Elizabeth insisted Will be allowed to sit next to her.

"Do you like the soup?"

Ginny's attentions turned to the source of the question, a short, slightly podgy man dressed all in black sitting next to her.

"Ah…yes, it's good."

"Yes," the man smiled a smile that used all the required muscles yet still managed to not mean anything. Ginny immediately didn't like him.

"My name is Father Victor Mimsey by the way."

Ginny almost rolled her eyes. Oh fabulous. A seventeenth century priest – just what she needed.

"Ginny Weasley."

She turned back to her soup and hoped that would be the extent of the conversation. No such luck.

"You are one of the Charden girls from England yes?"

Ginny nodded sinking lower in her chair.

"I thought so," he said as though he'd just aced a test. "I hail from the mother county myself and I have to say I do miss it. I do a lot of travel in my line of work as you can imagine and I find there's nothing like roughing it to make you really miss home."

Ginny looked at Mimsey and then around at the elegantly decorated dining room. He didn't seem to catch the gesture.

"So, ah, what is it you do Father Mimsey?" Ginny asked, trying her hardest to be polite as she took a sip of wine.

"I catch witches."

Ginny chocked on the wine. Mimsey chuckled to himself not noticing.

"Well no, not really. I do confess witchcraft is a little side mission of mine. Catching the devil at work, purging innocent souls of the evil in their midst-"

Ginny stared with her mouth open at the little priest who seemed to have let his mask of sanity slip for a moment. Then it was back.

"But my days are usually spent spreading god's word. Bringing light to the heathens."

"So what are you doing in Port Royal?" said Ginny.

Mimsey's smile said it all. _Bringing light to the heathens_. Ginny nearly recoiled. What a horrible little man.

"Father Mimsey, would you care for more wine?"

Ginny looked up at the blessed interruption and was met with the face of one of the noble's. This one had on one of those atrocious curly wigs that made grown men look like cream puffs. Though there was less lace adorning the rest of this particular figure; instead he was decked out in military garb. The look on his face told her that he knew exactly what he was interrupting and she couldn't help but feel grateful to him for it.

"Ah, no thank you Commodore Norrington. I've had quite enough," Mimsey said, extending the smile that wasn't a smile at the cream puff that was a Commodore. Commodore Norrington nodded to him, sparing Ginny a look before returning to his own soup.

Ginny bowed her head over her own meal. She couldn't wait for the night to end and she could be away again, by herself, thinking of morning. Morning. Ginny smiled into her soup. A tour by ship of the Caribbean had been arranged. It was to be the highlight of the class's excursion into the past. Come morning she was going to be out at sea with only the waves to annoy her. No nobles, no lace…no priest.

"So Miss Weasley, what part of England are you from?"

She was saved from answering when Will managed to break one of the legs off the table.


	5. Grand Tour

It took her class an age to get organized. One night in the governor's house where they hadn't even unpacked and they still weren't ready to go by nine. Ginny hadn't seen disorganization this bad since she'd been living at home.

She was about to start yelling at a couple of classmates who were bickering over what shoes they were going to wear when Elizabeth pulled her aside.

"I have to say I am sorry to see you going so soon."

Ginny nodded but couldn't bring herself to mirror the feeling. She wanted to see the Caribbean too badly. She would miss Elizabeth and Will though. During her overnight stay at the manor they had become friends, their presence aiding her in avoiding Mimsey and her schoolmates and hers letting the couple spend some time together without being scrutinized for impropriety.

"Well I will be back," Ginny said. "You still have to give me that tour of Port Royal you promised."

Elizabeth laughed and nodded.

"Indeed."

"Miss Weasley, your classmates are waiting."

Ginny rolled her eyes and threw a look over her shoulder at Jose who was grinning at her.

"Yeah, right, now they're waiting."

Elizabeth smiled at her grumble before suddenly gasping.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I have a present for you," she said, turning to the table behind her.

Ginny squirmed.

"You didn't need to do that-"

"Don't be silly," Elizabeth cut her off, passing her a polished wooden box. It was about the size of a shoe box, if not a little longer and felt heavy with padding.

"Open it."

Ginny did and gasped.

"Will made it. For your protection."

It was a dagger, gleaming and amazingly expensive looking. Ginny knew as much about knives as Draco knew about nice but she could still tell this one was brilliantly made. Gold filigree wound its way around the handle and the blade glinted beautiful and perfect. At the base of the blade were the initials W.T.

"He only initials the ones he gives away," Elizabeth said.

Ginny looked up at her, her eyes wide.

"It's beautiful."

Elizabeth beamed.

"I'm so glad you like it."

"Thank Will for me will you? And thank you too."

"Miss Weasley!"

Ginny's hair flew as she yelled over her shoulder.

"I'm coming!"

She turned back in time to be enveloped in a brief hug from Elizabeth.

"Have a safe trip Ginny."

"I will. I'll see you 'round. And thank you again."

And with that she was out the door, the dagger in its case clasped firmly under her arm.

-------------------------------------------------

The ship they were to take was called the Andromeda. It was a fair size, smaller than the fleet's finest – the Dauntless – but by no means small. The captain was a man called Joff. Tall and weather-beaten, Joff would have made an imposing character if he wasn't such a wuss. The first thing he did with the class was line them up and bark rules at them. He then proceeded to scream like a girl when a trunk was accidentally dropped behind him.

"Joff's a good man-"

Ginny spun at the voice to find Commodore Norrington behind her, looking up at the ship just as she was.

"…a little jumpy," he finished as Joff made his way down the gang-plank, taking one step carefully at a time.

"No kidding," Ginny said. She could almost have sworn she saw the Commodore smile at that.

"I'm afraid we weren't introduced last night at dinner. I'm Commodore James Norrington."

Ginny nodded.

"Ginny Weasley."

A moment passed.

"So I suppose Elizabeth sent you?"

This time the Commodore did smile.

"Obviously. I am charged with the task of seeing you off safely."

Ginny smiled and nodded.

"You know, I've only known her a day."

"You'll find Elizabeth takes to people very quickly."

Ginny nodded.

"All aboard!"

Ginny turned and smiled at the Commodore.

"Well it was nice to meet you Commodore Norrington but that's my queue."

The Commodore smiled back and tipped his head slightly.

"Have a safe trip Miss Weasley."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things were going fabulously. Ginny had found herself a perch out of the way of everyone on deck and had settled down with a notebook on her lap. She spent the first hours of the trip gazing out to the horizon and down at the passing waves. Everything was brilliant.

And then he happened.

"Well hello there Miss Weasley."

Ginny looked up sharply in horror.

"You!"

"Yes me," Mimsey said, taking a seat next to her on a crate. "I was wondering where I'd find you."

"What are you doing here?" Ginny blurted before she could stop herself.

Mimsey gazed out at the horizon like he owned it.

"Why, I'm taking the same tour you are Miss Weasley, I thought you knew."

He smiled the non-smile at her and Ginny suddenly wished the ship would run aground.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later things hadn't improved. Mimsey seemed to seek out her company no matter where she tried to hide. He just wouldn't take a hint. He just kept talking and talking. About witches, about Satan; Ginny was about ready to give him a good kick overboard. Anything to get him to shut up and leave her alone.

Then it happened. Mimsey was chattering on at her and she suddenly thought she saw it. A dot of black on the horizon - barely there but there none the less. Another ship? Maybe. Sitting there in the hot sun listening to the tale of some poor woman who was hung for giving a man herbal tea, Ginny actually begun to wish that it was a pirate ship. Anything to give Mimsey a reason to shut up.

That said, it was so not her fault when the Andromeda was attacked in the dead of night by a ship with black sails and a scull and crossbones flag waving on high.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ginny awoke to shouting and the smell of smoke. The three girls in the cabin with her were already awake and staring around themselves with wide panicked eyes.

"What's going on?" One of them asked.

There was shouting and a thump from the deck above them and one of the girls burst into tears. Ginny rolled off her bed onto the floor and scrabbled around under it. Their wands had all been taken off them before they left the twenty-first century, the magical energy of them being incompatible with the portal magics used. But Ginny wasn't completely unarmed. Her fingers touched wood and Ginny grabbed the box as the shouting got closer. The clanging of steel drifted through the door as she flipped the lid of the box, revealing the dagger. She grabbed it up and stuffed it down the back of her pajama pants just as the door was thrown back on its hinges.

Two of the girls screamed at the sight of the figure in the doorway. He was tall, graying and not to be mistaken for anything but a pirate. He even had the parrot perched on one shoulder.

"Aaak! Dead men tell no tales!"

The pirate didn't speak. He simply gestured to the door with his big, sharp-looking sword and the girls got the point. Ginny was the last out, walking carefully so as not to dislodge the dagger.

Stepping onto the deck was like stepping into hell. Flaming torches held aloft by grubby pirates were all that lit the world around them. Everything shifted in jagged shadows as the torches wavered. Ginny and her group, it appeared, were the last on deck. Everyone else was already lined up, crew and students alike – all at gun and sword-point.

"Well now, how was that for a bit of excitement?"

The voice was the sort Ginny had least expected to hear in this situation. The individual it belonged to however seemed perfectly suited. He was tall and as grubby as the rest of them but with hair and eyes that set him way apart, perhaps from sanity as well. Kohl-lined eyes and hair threaded through with bone and beads, he looked like piracy's answer to a drag queen. A pistol was held limply from his left hand as if he'd forgotten he'd put it there and a sword gleamed at his hip – it seemed the only thing of him he bothered to clean.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention if you will! There's no need to panic, you're just being pillaged, nothing to worry about, happens all the time."

Ginny found her mouth hanging open despite herself. The man was insane. He had to be. Beside her one of her classmates hiccupped through her tears.

"Now we're just goin' though all your worldly belongings now, it shouldn't take us long plunder all we want and then we'll be on our way, Savvy?"

Someone sniffed.

"Good."

"P-parlay…"

Ginny's eyes widened. It was the girl next to her. Tears filled her voice but she still said it.

"Shut up! What in Merlin's name are you doing?" Ginny hissed out of the corner of her mouth. But it was too late. The insane drag-queen had heard it. His head quirked and then his gaze slid along the line of trembling people until it came to her.

"Did I just hear the P word?"

Ginny just stared as he made his way down the line to where she was standing, his strides long and just a little wobbly. Cautious and yet…drunk at the same time. He came to a stop in front of her and raked his kohl gaze between her and the hiccupping girl at her side. Ginny couldn't help but gape at him. Up close he was even more unusual. His facial expressions alone could have amused an audience for hours.

"Well, don't keep me hanging darlings."

His voice up close was just as strange. Almost intoxicating. Ginny couldn't for the life of her pick his accent.

"I-it was her."

Ginny almost broke her neck whipping around to glare in shock at the girl next to her. Her hiccups had ceased and the girl had found her tongue.

"What?"

In the back of her mind Ginny knew the girl was just scared. She was just doing anything to get the attention back off her. In the front of her mind however she was raging at the little cow for being gutless enough to send her to the bloody captain instead.

"Better make up your minds missies, the word came from one of you and so one of you has a meeting to get to."

He was enjoying this, Ginny could tell. He was toying with them. The girl at her side shivered and Ginny rolled her eyes. Merlin dammit!

"Fine, it was me. Parlay. Take me to the sodding captain."

The pirate before her grinned, more cheerfully than unpleasantly and motioned for her to step forward with his gun. Ginny swallowed, threw one more glare at the girl at her side and then stepped toward the pirate.

"To the captain!" he cried and led the way in a highly individual way down the deck. Ginny followed him, conscious of the dagger in her waist-band and the pirate with the parrot falling in behind her.

The beaded pirate led the way down the deck until they came to a wooden plank spanning out over the ocean. On the opposite side of the plank a black sailed ship floated ominously, seeming to not even make a whisper of sound. It was a testament to how dark it was that Ginny hadn't noticed it until then.

The insane pirate led the way across the plank, belying his wobbliness and remaining sure-footed all the way across. Ginny was next. Heights had never bothered her, she'd played seeker for Gryffindor at Hogwarts for goodness sake. But something about stepping out onto a thin plank of wood hovering over blackness made her catch her breath for a moment.

"Come come now, we haven't got all night."

Ginny glared in the general direction of the voice and then took the plank in seven quick steps. She nearly fell into the pirate on the other side as she jumped down he was standing so close to the edge of the plank. As it was he grabbed her arm to steady her. Ginny's reply was to promptly yank her arm out of his grasp. The pirate blinked at her for a moment before, much to Ginny's fury, he wiped his hands on his pants – as though she were the one who was covered in grime. The nerve of him!

Before she had the chance to blow up in his face the pirate was off once more, this time down the deck of the pirate ship. It didn't take them long to get to the captain. He was a round sort of fellow with a graying beard and suspicious eyes. In front of him, on his knees and groveling, was Joff.

"Please! Take whatever you like! The luggage…the students…do you want the students? Take them!"

Ginny couldn't believe her ears.

"Why you soggy little worm!"

Everyone looked up at her outburst, bar Joff who was still trying to sink into the decking. The captain eyed her up and down.

"Ay, and who's this you've brought us Capt'n Sparrow?"

Ginny's eyes widened. Captain? She spun on the insane pirate.

"Captain? You?"

The insane pirate looked at her as if she'd just said something incredibly stupid and he was scared that it would attack him.

"Captain. Me."

"You…why did you make me come over here if you're the Captain?" she said furiously.

Captain Sparrow blinked at her.

"You followed me."

Ginny felt like banging her head against the mast. "Yes but you said…" she stopped, taking in Sparrow's expression. She wasn't getting through, if nothing else she was simply amusing him.

"Agh!" she growled and stamped her foot. Sparrow looked at her cautiously for a moment as if to determine if she was stable before turning to the graying fellow she'd first mistaken for the pirate captain.

"Mister Gibbs. How goes the pillaging?"

"Not too well Cap'n. We're havin' a bit'o trouble with the trunks."

"How so?"

"We can't open 'em."

Sparrow seemed taken aback by that.

"What? Any of them?"

"We've tried everythin' short 'o the cannons," said the graying pirate…Mister Gibbs.

Captain Sparrow turned a thoughtful expression down the decking and Ginny followed his gaze to a pile of wooden trunks – the classes personal luggage. Ginny almost snorted. No wonder they couldn't open them, any sane witch or wizard never left home without a proper locking charm on their trunk.

Sparrow seemed to be thinking deeply. Well either that or he'd gone to sleep on his feet which Ginny really wouldn't put past him. Just as she was expecting to hear a snore another pirate stepped out of the shadows. Ginny was rather taken-aback to see that this one was female.

"We still have the students cap'n. Likely te' be a fine price paid fer the pretty heads of English nobbs."

Something in Ginny went a little cold. Ransom. They were going to ransom her history class. She was about to protest when someone else beat her to it.

"Nay cap'n! 't be terrible bad luck!"

The she-pirate rolled her eyes.

"Aye Gibbs, an' when is it not?"

Gibbs opened his mouth to retort but the captain waved his hands for silence, nearly poking out a few eyes with his enthusiasm.

"My dear Ana-Maria, but Mr Gibbs does have a point. People are notoriously difficult to control -"

"Not if yer chain 'em te' the hull -"

Ginny was just realizing how much she was really starting to dis-like the Ana-Maria pirate when Sparrow spoke up again.

"I don't particularly want to have to deal with prisoners if I don't have to -"

Ginny practically bounced at her chance.

"You don't have to!"

Suddenly all eyes were on her.

"I know how to open the trunks. I can open them and then you can just let us all go…right?"

After all it didn't seem as though anyone really wanted too much violence to ensue here. Well, except maybe the she-pirate. Ginny was rather glad the she didn't appear to be the one calling the shots. Then again Gibbs didn't seem to be looking at her in a very good way either.

"You can open the trunks?"

Ginny nodded assuredly in the face of the growled skepticism. Gibbs' eyes narrowed.

"How?"

Ginny swallowed nervously.

"You ah…need a special kind of lock-pick," she said. Well, she was only half lying, she needed a wand is what she needed and there was only one person in their party that carried one.

"Our…teacher, Jose, he has it. Bring Jose here and he can unlock the trunks."

Sparrow was looking at her like she was something he'd like to dissect. After a moment of this he nodded his head at the she-pirate.

"Go fetch the teacher Ana."

Ana-Maria nodded and headed off into the darkness. Ginny suddenly found herself standing amidst a bunch of pirates with nothing to say. Not that she really had anything to say to pirates in the first place. Damn it! Trust her to land herself in a situation like this.

"I don' like this Cap'n," the Gibbs pirate said quietly to Sparrow, obviously trying not to be heard but failing abysmally. Growing up with six brothers who all thought they could keep secrets had made Ginny's hearing very impressive.

"We tried everythin' on them trunks. It occurs te' me Cap'n…some things ain't meant te' be opened if ye' catch my meaning."

Sparrow didn't take his eyes off Ginny at Gibbs' words, but he did nod. Ginny felt a small shiver trickle down her spine. She was beginning to think she was going to have to re-assess the drunken appearance of the Captain because his eyes were anything but unfocused. Ginny was almost glad when Ana-Maria returned dragging someone behind her at gunpoint. The glad part dropped from the equation however when the 'someone' was revealed. Mimsey.

"What…I told you to bring Jose!"

"'e was unavailable," Ana-Maria said plainly to Sparrow. "Got a bit too heroic as we was boarding."

Ginny's blood ran cold.

"You didn't…he's not…"

It was Mimsey who put her out of her misery.

"He's still alive Miss Weasley. Just rather knocked out."

Ginny was sure his smile was meant to reassure her but it didn't.

"We brought ye' everythin' he had on 'im," Ana-Maria continued, jabbing her gun into Mimsey.

He got the point rather quickly as people at gunpoint often do and there was a clattering as a number of pocket-sized trinkets rained onto the decking. Mimsey had been holding them in a fold of his robe, not unlike how Ginny's mother held the pegs as she hung out the washing.

All eyes were on the objects on the deck. There was a pocket watch, a deck of cards, a few quills and a pot of ink. In the middle of it all was what Ginny was looking for. Jose's wand. Ginny bent gingerly and picked it up. Her hand tingled a little at the unfamiliar power but she thought she should still be able to use it. For a second she wondered whether she was quick enough to take down all the pirates but she dismissed the thought straight off. She had a non-violent way out of this and she was going to use it.

"That's the lock pick?" Ana-Maria said incredulously. "I almost threw it overboard."

Ginny threw her a dirty look before turning to Sparrow.

"Where are the trunks?"

They were lined up on the deck next to the plank connecting the two ships. She spotted her own straight off but dismissed it just as quickly. These were pirates and pirates typically wanted something of worth when they went to the trouble of pillaging. Instead she turned to one of the smaller trunks. It was black with silver edging and looked very new. Its owner was a girl named Lucinda Grosshawk. Ginny didn't really care for the girl much – she was only studying history because her father had wanted her to have a degree in something so he could show off his 'little educated princess'. Needless to say she was rolling in cash.

Ginny approached the trunk with a frown upon her face. What charm would Princess Lucinda have used? Crouching by the lock, Ginny raised the wand and tried to maneuver her body so it blocked the pirates' view of what she was doing.

"Alohomora," she whispered and almost snorted when the lock glowed gold for a moment and popped open. It seemed money couldn't buy intelligence – not even the second years at Hogwarts used charms that could be broken with Alohomora on their trunks.

Smiling to herself she stood and turned back to the assembled pirates, aiming a kick at the trunk as she was going that popped the lid. Ana-Maria was the first to stalk forward, a scowl still fixed on her face as she zeroed in on the contents of the trunk. It was as the she-pirate was rummaging that Ginny noticed Mimsey or rather Mimsey's face.

The skin about his neck was red and rather splotchy and his eyes were narrowed in a supremely ugly way as he looked from the trunk to herself and then down at the wand in her hand. Ginny fidgeted for a moment until Ana-Maria re-emerged from the trunk, her arms full with a crystal perfume set, a polished oak jewelry box and a pouch of Lucinda's spending money – a small fortune to most. More than a few eyes glittered upon sighting the gold and Captain Sparrow grinned.

"Brilliant! Now if you'll be so kind as to hand over the lock-pick we'll send you on your merry way."

"Uh…"

Ginny hesitated. She doubted any of the pirates had any sort of magic in their system if their appearance was any judge. If she handed them the wand it wasn't going to work and she really wouldn't put it past the Captain to re-attack their ship just to have her explain herself.

"I have to open the other trunks," she said finally. She couldn't help but notice Mimsey's eyes narrowing just that little bit more in her direction. The Captain simply cocked his head at her.

"Begging your pardon?"

Ginny swallowed, feeling Mimsey's suspicious stare bore into her.

"I ah…I'm the only one that knows how to use this," she said holding up the wand. "So I have to do it. You send Misters Joff and Mimsey back to the ship and I'll open the rest of the trunks for you."

Ginny hadn't really intended on that last part slipping out but then she really didn't want Mimsey watching her unlock the rest of the trunks with that hawk-gaze of his. She had an awful feeling he'd already caught sight of her magicing the first trunk and she didn't want him getting a better look.

Sparrow too seemed suspicious – not that Ginny could tell for sure – it was so hard to work out where the man was most of the time. Finally he clapped his hands, as if the glaring silence had never been there.

"Aye, well get to it missy. Ana, if you could be so kind as to escort the Misters back to their ship."

Ginny blinked at the order. He was agreeing? With her? She watched as Gibbs sidled up to his captain.

"I'd like te' go on record as not likin' this cap'n."

"Noted," Sparrow said as he watched Mimsey and Joff being led up and across the plank between the two ships.

Ginny followed his gaze and met with Mimseys. Oh yeah, he'd so seen her. Shaking her head Ginny turned back to the trunks. First thing's first – she'd deal with Mimsey later when she got back to the ship.

She didn't know the owner of the second trunk she chose but whoever it was was a lot smarter than Lucinda. They had worked three bindings and a curse into their lock – it took Ginny a good ten minutes to get through it all. It probably would have taken anyone else a bit longer but Ginny knew quite a lot when it came to locking charms. She was the only girl among seven children - privacy was an art form in her household.

The next three trunks were mildly easier.

It was as she was working on the sixth trunk that she heard it. Scraping and a solid clank from the side of the ship. She spun towards the sound just in time to see one of the pirates catch the plank spanning the ships as it began to fall.

"They're runnin' cap'n!"

Ginny's eyes widened as her stomach dropped into the unknown regions of her knees. No! Ginny lunged to the side of the ship and peered out into the darkness where the Andromedia should have been. She could just make out the rail as it slid away from her.

"No! Come back here you stupid son's of bitches!" She screamed into the darkness. There was no answer as the ship glided silently into the darkness.

The order went up from behind her -

"Let 'em go."

Ginny spun wildly around, panic still in her throat. Captain Sparrow was leaning casually on the rail beside her looking for all the world like he was watching a sunrise rather than the escape of his quarry.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked desperately. "Go after them! You have to go after them!"

Sparrow turned to face her and shook his head.

"No love, I think you're confused. See I'm not the one who'll be needing to go after them. That would be you. But I suppose, being that I'm such a gentleman, I wouldn't really feel right unless I gave you a good running start."

Ginny stared at him incredulously for a moment before rough hands suddenly grasped her arms and she was pushed forward…towards the rail. Ginny's eyes widened.

"No! No please don't!"

"Swim hard love! The current'll aid ye!"

Ginny struggled mightily but whoever was holding her had a determined grip. All too soon she felt the bump of the rail against her hip and a blind panic seemed to take a hold. Twisting roughly she aimed a kick at the person behind her and accidentally dislodged the dagger she had tucked into the wait band of her pants. It clattered loudly to the decking and caused the throw-Ginny-overboard party to pause.

"What have we here then?"

Ginny was yanked around to face Sparrow once more as he picked up the dagger. The blade gleamed in his hands and Ginny felt a slight sting at seeing her gift in his possession.

"That's mine!"

Sparrow didn't even look up at her words. He'd found the engraving on the base of the blade and had gone suddenly very still. The silence stretched before he looked up.

"Throw her in the brig."

Ginny blinked. Huh? Whoever was holding her seemed to be as surprised as she was because it took Sparrow a "Well?" before they started moving, this time away from the rail. As they passed him Ginny saw Captain Sparrow slide the dagger into his own belt as he began shouting orders to get the ship moving.

All around her the crew rushed to obey but Ginny hardly noticed. She was still trying to figure out why she wasn't already treading water.


	6. Damn Him

She was cold, she was wet and she couldn't even indulge in a good slouch because she still had on that infernal corset.

It had been two days since the Andromeda had abandoned her to the pirates. Two days since she'd been shoved into this dank and unforgiving cell. She really couldn't complain all that much she supposed. She'd been fed and watered regularly, the blankets she'd been given were only slightly mildewed and almost completely without holes. Quite frankly she'd expected worse from pirates. Then again she'd never expected to find herself held captive by them either.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as the sound of footsteps descending the stairs resounded around the brig. Taking a huff of a breath, she pulled herself up using the bars as leverage. She was never wearing a corset again that's for sure. She looked up as a pair of feet came into view, expecting to see Cotton carrying a plate of cold gruel and stale bread for her morning meal as usual. She'd actually come to think quite fondly of the pirate, despite her situation. He always sat with her as she ate and nodded along as she prattled. She had a tendency to do that when she was nervous. There was something in his manner and the way he hand-fed his bird the crusts of her bread that she passed back through the bars that spoke of a gentleness. Anyone else in her situation, she knew, would probably balk at viewing one of her keepers in such a way. Then again, anyone else hadn't seen the inside of Voldemort's dungeons the way she had.

She would have shivered at the unwanted memory but for her surprise at seeing that her visitor was not Cotton at all but Captain Sparrow himself. Ginny stood up a little straighter as Sparrow stepped off the last step and headed towards her cell.

"Well good morning there love, sleep well?"

Ginny's glare in response to the question didn't seem to phase Sparrow one bit as he stopped in front of her cell door and spun a set of keys expertly around his ringed fingers. The demonstration was not lost on Ginny as she looked from Sparrows face, to the keys and back again.

"Just thought I'd come down here and have a nice chat seeing as we didn't get the chance when last we met."

"Yes you were too busy trying to throw me overboard," Ginny said, crossing her arms over her chest and striking that formidable Weasley pose she'd seen on her mum from time to time.

"Only out of the goodness of my heart love."

Ginny snorted but Sparrow didn't miss a beat.

"Well, first thing's first young miss. What's your name?"

Ginny hesitated at first but really couldn't think of any reason why she shouldn't answer.

"Ginny Weasley."

"Well Miss Weasley, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Sparrow said, with a hand over his heart. Ginny felt like snorting again.

"I am Captain Jack Sparrow, and you find yourself aboard my ship-"

"The Black Pearl," Ginny finished for him, her eyes widening.

"I see you've heard of us then," Jack said with a spark of pride in his voice.

Ginny felt like she'd swallowed her tongue. Heard of him? Heard of him! Merlin's beard she was aboard the Black Pearl! Standing in front of her was one of the most well-known Pirates of the Caribbean. She hadn't been able to avoid his name while researching the back alley's and magic undergrounds of the area – Jack Sparrow had ties to almost all of the significant magical happenings that had taken place in the Caribbean over the years. Why hadn't she made the connection?

Ginny stared at the pirate open mouthed for a few more moments before she noticed the more she did so the more smug he seemed to become. All at once Ginny snapped her mouth closed and returned to her scowling. So he was famous. Obviously didn't stop him from being a total prat.

"Did you come down here just to irritate me or did you have something worthwhile to impart?"

Sparrow smirked at her.

"Actually love I was hoping you could impart some knowledge to me," he said stepping closer to the bars.

Ginny took a step back as he reached behind him and pulled out a dagger. Her heart started playing the bongos with her lungs at the sight of the blade before she recognized it. It was the dagger Elisabeth had given her – the one Will had made.

"Where did you get this?"

Ginny didn't think she'd ever heard Sparrow so serious. His voice was stoked with a low growl that made her belly clench and her fists ball as she looked from the dagger to his face. She was thankful, when her voice came, it belied no weakness.

"It was a gift. I was told it would protect me."

Sparrow held her eyes for a few moments after she'd finished speaking. Ginny couldn't help but think he was weighing the truth of her words. Finally he looked down at the dagger in his hands and Ginny could have sworn she heard a growled curse just before he stuffed it back behind him.

"Right."

Ginny took another hurried step back as Sparrow suddenly approached the door, pulling out the keys again as he went. A moment later the door was swung open and there was nothing but air between them. Ginny couldn't help the nervous swallow. Sparrow, for his part seemed to have regained his flippant air and looked to be taking much amusement from her reaction.

"It seems Miss Weasley, you have two choices. One, you can stay here, locked in a cage while Cotton brings you scraps. Or two, you can come above with me, have a bite to eat with the rest of me crew and then get to work on those trunks you didn't get the time to open."

Ginny just blinked at him.

"So which will it be?"

It was about then that Ginny's stomach growled. Something other than cold gruel was looking like heaven right about now. And with any luck, Sparrow might even let her go through her trunk and change out of this damnable corset. Her mind set, Ginny took a few tentative steps towards the door. Sparrow clapped his hands together, making her jump slightly.

"Lovely. If you'll follow me."

Ginny didn't really see that she had a choice. She followed.

* * *

It wasn't often that the entire crew was together in one room but when it happened the results were always the same. Absolute and utter chaos. Mealtimes were no exception. Shouting and laughter ricocheted around the mess as a crew of hungry pirates feasted quite well on the spoils of their latest raid.

Ginny looked around the area with a deer in headlights look about her. Amazingly it only took Jack one whistle to gain everyone's attention.

"Miss Weasley has deigned to join us for breakfast. Let us make her feel welcome."

Ginny smiled thinly as she was stared at by the room full of pirates before Sparrow pushed her into the fray. All of a sudden Ginny felt like she was back in Hogwarts, making her way down the lunch tables, watching everyone close the gaps between them so she couldn't try to take a seat next to them. Then, quite suddenly, she was being pulled down to sit. She looked up and caught a face full of feathers as Cotton's parrot turned around on his shoulder to look down at her. Ginny smiled her thanks as Cotton handed her an apple.

Looking around the table Ginny was surprised at the variety and freshness of the food offered. The apple in her hand for instance didn't have a mark on it. Her eyes widened then in realization and she very nearly laughed. It was true, fresh food was hard to come by on the open sea. The stash of magically preserved fruit and veggies the pirates had found on the Andromeda must have been a welcome find.

It gave Ginny a perverse kind of satisfaction to know that while a bunch of pirates were feasting like kings, her treacherous classmates would have to put up with emergency rations that made Hagrid's cakes look like scones dipped in honey.

Speaking of scones…

Ginny reached toward the plate piled high with the balls of fluffy dough only to have her hand knocked out of the way as another beat her to it. Ginny glared at Ana-maria as the she-pirate brought the scone to her lips and threw her a haughty look. So it was going to be like that was it? Well Ginny could play this game. She'd grown up eating with a family of nine after all.

* * *

Jack watched with no little amusement as their new guest dived into the food. Etiquette and manners took a flying leap as she fought with the best of them for all the finest scraps on the table. If Jack didn't know better he'd say she'd done this before.

It was all very strange really. Trunks that wouldn't open, food that didn't rot and now a lady that got along better with Pirates than Elisabeth Swann. Not to mention that said lady had on her possession the only two initials in the world that could have saved her from a dunking by his hand.

Under the table Jack fingered the blade of the Lady's dagger. Bloody Will Turner.

Jack knew that if he'd thrown the girl overboard, chances are, once he'd made himself scarce her own ship would have fished her out. But there was always the chance that they wouldn't have. The slimy cads had already thrown her to the dogs by taking off without her. It was that chance that made him stow her below. Two initials had made it a chance he wasn't particularly willing to take.

Unfortunately this now left him with a Nob on board and very little clue of what to do with her.

He watched as the lady and Ana-maria engaged in a very uncouth tug-of-war across the table with a carrot and couldn't stifle a grin. Ah well, if nothing else it would give the next few days at sea some entertainment.

* * *

Ginny didn't think she'd ever been so happy to see a pair of trousers. She almost sighed when she pulled them up over her legs and buttoned them over her blessedly corset-free waist. Truth be told, she'd found it a little surprising how easy it was to convince Sparrow to give her her things and allow her to change. One mention of the corset seemed to do it. If anything the pirate seemed more against them than she was – something about them getting him into a lot of trouble once if she'd heard his mutterings correctly.

Ginny pulled a shirt over her head and took stock of her appearance. She'd made a conscious effort to appear as un-modern as possible in a pair of baggy brown cargo pants and a poofy white dress shirt she'd stolen from Charlie when she was twelve to use as a nightie. The overall effect sort of worked. In any case it was the best she had. Taking a deep breath, she stowed her trunk under some crates and then emerged into the open of the hold. It was the most private place she'd been able to find to change.

A rickety staircase later saw her out on the deck in the early morning sun. At first she was blinded and she had to shield her eyes before they became used to the change in light. When they finally did part of Ginny wished they hadn't. People were staring. She hated being started at. Steeling herself, she made her way across the deck to where the school trunks had been laid out for her. Jack Sparrow was waiting.

"Well love, don't you look fetching," he said with a pointed head to toe gaze. Ginny wanted to slap the grin right off his smug face but instead she smiled sweetly at him.

"I'm sorry, I had to improvise – I didn't plan on being kidnapped by pirates this week. Perhaps I should go put on a bit more eye-liner?"

If anything Sparrow's amusement seemed to grow.

"I wouldn't worry love, too much kohl would just hide those beautiful eyes o' yours."

Ginny blinked. Was that a complement? It sounded like a complement but this was Jack Sparrow. Before she had the chance to work it out the damnable pirate was swaggering away in that way he had.

"I trust you know yer task Miss Gin. Enjoy!"

Ginny scowled after him. Miss Gin. The bloody menace had given her a nickname. He'd given her a nickname and said her eyes were beautiful. Ginny huffed and turned to the trunks. Damn him, couldn't he just have one theme and stick to it? She kind of thought she had him figured until he'd come out with that thing about her eyes. It probably wouldn't have been so bad except his mentioning her eyes kinda made her focus stray towards his. She'd never admit it of course but Jack Sparrow had very pretty eyes.

Damn him.


End file.
